A Pyware Transcription Project: Transcribing Iconic DCI Drill Moves: Part 3 "What Did I Learn?"
I’m closing this 3 part series by discussing what I learned throughout this process. As I stated in Part 1, I was certain I would learn a lot during this exercise. I was sure transcribing would force me to look at each design through a new lens. While I had previously taken notice of the design or was impressed by its effectiveness, until you really get into the inner workings of a design, there are likely some finer details and features overlooked. Because of this fact alone, I highly recommend this type of activity for any designer. Enough, let’s get to the list.
Outstanding design is clever. It’s impossible to watch any of these 8 design moments and not see something that is just highly clever. The art of surprise or even gradient escalating effect is a feature of any outstanding design. And for a design to be clever, the designer has to be thinking with cleverness. If you watch the designs on my list, it will be apparent.
The performers in these examples make some very difficult visual assignments look EASY. What gifted and well rehearsed performers! When you consider the simultaneous responsibilities handled by the performers in these video segments, it is just incredible. It’s one thing to marvel at the execution when seeing this stuff either live or on YouTube, but when you break things down and analyze them, it is even more astounding!
Some of the performances aren’t as accurate as I once thought. While I was able to use slow or stop motion in iMovie, I was able to see the little missed assignments. Were they massively errant? No, but I was able to see where individual performers either just missed something by a few inches or had to “round it off” just because of the sheer physicality being asked of them in that moment. When viewing the performance in full motion, those little ticks are not apparent. This sometimes caused me to dance back and forth between the evidence on the video and my perception of the designer’s intent.
Designers at this level understand how they can help the performer by pacing the difficulty. This can be achieved by not requiring a group of musicians to “run” when they are playing or by having more modestly taxing phrases on either side of a very difficult phrase. Something else I discovered: If you watch the 2nd segment (2000 Cavaliers Diamond Cutter), you will notice the entire wedge of brass are moving forward at 1/2 step at 1/2 tempo. This helps the performers who are having the progress around the diamond backward marching to not have to take as large of a step. This is something that had gotten past me for 20 years. But now I see!
Speed kills! Okay. Maybe that isn’t a great way to say it, but seriously velocity is where it’s at. Just look at the 1991 Star of Indiana “Transfigured Cross” or Carolina Crown “3D Boxes” and you’ll see what I mean.
Designers at this level are super smart and creative. They are able to conceive of a series of events using simple lines and shapes that sweep us up in the moment taking us for a short glorious ride!
You can access a compilation video containing the entire series HERE. The compilation is presented in full screen format rather than picture in picture allowing the viewer a better sampling of the Pyware animation. Again, these transcriptions are approximate.
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